Despite a pledge to double the SaskPower's reliance on renewable electricity generation, the Sask. Party government's refusal to introduce a carbon tax means Saskatchewan is now "an outlier in Confederation," one expert says.

Alex MacPherson, Saskatoon StarPhoenix

Updated: November 25, 2015

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall speaks following the family photo op during a First Ministers meeting at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa on Monday, Nov. 23, 2015. Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS

SaskPower’s pledge to increase renewable energy generation is important, but the provincial government’s unwillingness to introduce carbon pricing means Saskatchewan is now “an outlier in Confederation” when it comes to climate policy, one expert says.

“This is now the eighth year of this government, and it’s only after eight years that we’re talking about the environment, after a decade-long oil boom,” said Charles Smith, a professor of political studies at the University of Saskatchewan. “One of the questions is: why now, why not sooner? And I think they’re playing catch-up.”

On Monday, SaskPower announced a plan to boost its reliance on wind, solar and geothermal power sources to 50 per cent from 25 per cent by 2030. The move is expected to reduce the provincial power grid’s dependence on gas- and coal-fired plants to 50 per cent from 72 per cent.

A carbon tax like the $3 billion pricing scheme unveiled by Alberta premier Rachel Notley on Sunday is a non-starter, according to Saskatchewan Finance Minister Kevin Doherty.

“We’re not imposing a carbon tax,” Doherty told the Regina Chamber of Commerce on Monday. “Now is not the time to impose another tax on the business community.”

Premier Brad Wall echoed Doherty at the first ministers’ meeting on Monday in Ottawa, telling reporters that while Canada needs to do better on its climate change record, it can’t forget the consequences for the economy.

“As we are meeting, there are literally tens of thousands of Canadians who have been laid off of their jobs in the (energy) sector, and there is the prospect for more difficult news if prices stay low,” he said.

“We need to work hard to ensure that we’re doing no further harm to an industry that is facing great difficulty,” Wall added.

It’s unclear whether the Sask. Party government’s position is ideological or pragmatic, but major energy industry players have voiced support for a broad-spectrum carbon levy in Alberta, Smith said.

“Does it have to be anti-economy to be pro-environment?” he said. “That seems (to be) how they’re painting it … but the Alberta government, I think, is saying the opposite.”

Economic vitality and environmental protection are not always mutually exclusive, according to the president and CEO of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, which represents companies in the oil and gas industries.

“If there’s a way to do things more efficiently, more effectively, it likely has less emissions and lower costs,” Tim McMillan said. “I think it should always be our goal to find win-win solutions.”

Every jurisdiction requires a different balance, meaning a solution that works in one province won’t necessarily succeed in another, and Saskatchewan has the track record and the credibility to achieve “real and meaningful improvements” while allowing its economy to remain strong, McMillan said.

University of Regina political science professor Jim Farney questions the provincial government’s position. While governments are typically wary of scaring away capital investment with tax hikes, most large companies can’t afford to abandon immobile natural resources, he noted.

“(A carbon tax) will be bad for some businesses, and those stories will come up,” Farney said. “(But) is it bad for economic growth on the whole, or is it the biggest factor for an economy like ours? Almost certainly not. It’s the price of oil, which we don’t control, and it’s the price of potash, which we don’t control.”

The Sask. Party’s commitment to avoiding new taxes leaves it out of step with Alberta, B.C., Ontario and Quebec — all of which have implemented, or are planning to implement, carbon pricing — but investment in renewables is a climate policy stopgap, Farney added.

“Everybody else is doing it, so we’ve got to be seen to do something,” he added.

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